Blanchett's new film bombs

Cate Blanchett's Veronica Guerin has bombed
in its debut at the North American box office.

It took only $US603,000
($A878,110) in 472 theatres, averaging just $US1,278 ($A1,860).

Blanchett
plays a real-life Irish journalist slain during an investigation of Dublin
druglords.

In limited release, Sylvia - Gwyneth Paltrow's film
biography of suicidal poet Sylvia Plath - opened strongly with $US56,132
($A81,740) in three theatres in New York City and Los Angeles, averaging
$US18,711 ($A27,245).

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the remake of
the 1974 horror tale that helped launch the modern slasher genre, debuted as the
top weekend movie with $US29.1 million ($A42.38 million), according to studio
estimates today.

It grossed $US12.5 million ($A18.2 million), lifting its 10-day total to
$US43.3 million ($A63.06 million).

The John Grisham court thriller
Runaway Jury, with Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, John Cusack and Rachel
Weisz, opened in third place with $US12.1 million ($A17.62 million).

After a
strong debut in limited release a week earlier, Clint Eastwood's Mystic
River - starring Sean Penn and Tim Robbins - expanded to wide release and
came in at No 5 with $US10.36 million ($A15.09 million).